The discovery museum will design and build a new exhibit exploring the subject of cause and effect, targeting children ages zero to 12 and their adult companions

The Discovery Museum will use a $284,439 Project Grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services' Museums for America program to design and fabricate up to 10 interactive exhibit components exploring the subject of cause and effect for children ages 0-12. The museum will partner with local public libraries and nonprofits to host replicated subsets of the exhibit and develop supplemental reading lists and activity kits. An external evaluator will assess outcomes including participants' knowledge and confidence related to causal relationships. The grant period spans September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2024. Museums for America grants support activities that advance museums' strategic goals of serving the public, in line with this award's focus on developing educational exhibits and extending their reach through community partnerships.

Informed by an advisory group of researchers, museum staff will work with exhibit design consultants to prototype, develop, and fabricate up to 10 interactive, accessible exhibit components, highlighting different types of causal relationships. To extend these learning opportunities to a broader audience, the museum will partner with public libraries and child-focused nonprofit organizations, which will host replicated subsets of the exhibit at their sites. They will jointly develop supplemental activities such as children's reading lists and take-home activity kits to allow visitors to continue exploring on their own. An external evaluator will assess project outcomes, which will include increasing participants' knowledge about cause and effect mechanisms and building their confidence and persistence.